Dyeing,fastness, and cytotoxic properties,and phenolic constituents of Anthemis tinctoria var. tinctoria (Asteraceae)

The present study focused on dyeing, fastness, cytotoxic properties, and phenolic constituents of various types of fabrics including viscose, cotton, wool, and polyester-viscose blended fabrics with different parts of Anthemis tinctoria var. tinctoria. Comparative study was carried out between ethanol and aqueous extracts of stem, flower, and root of the plant in terms of phenolic constituents, cytotoxic activity, and dyeing properties. It was found that the quantity of phenolic constituents of ethanol and aqueous extracts was quite different. All parts of the plant extract show 0% cytotoxicity except ethanol extract of the root. All the extracts exhibit better cytotoxic activity than the standard cancer drug 5-Florouracil. Ethanol and water extracts of A. tinctoria var. tinctoria plant were used to dye fabrics, but only the water extract displayed dyeing properties. Best color strength value (K/S = 9.19) was obtained with aqueous extract of the stem in the presence of alum mordant for cotton fabrics.     

Tailoring Cu/Al2O3 catalysts for the catalytic pyrolysis of tomato waste

In this study, pyrolysis of tomato waste has been performed in fixed bed tubular reactor at 500 °C, both in absence and presence of Cu/Al₂O₃ catalyst. The influences of heating rate, catalyst preparation method and catalyst loading on bio-oil yields and properties were examined. According to pyrolysis experiments, the highest bio-oil yield was obtained as 30.31% with a heating rate of 100 °C/min, 5% Cu/Al₂O₃ catalyst loading ratio and co-precipitation method. Results showed that the catalysts have strong positive effect on bio-oil yields. Bio-oil quality obtained from fast catalytic pyrolysis was more favorable than that obtained from non-catalytic and slow catalytic pyrolysis.     

Entropy generation in the flow system generated in between two parallel plates due to bivertical motion of the top plate

Thermodynamic irreversibility in the flow system provides information on the energy and power losses in the system. Minimization of entropy generation in the flow system enables for the parametric optimization of the system operation. In the present study, parallel plates, in between, filled with the fluid are considered. The fluid motion resulted from the bi-vertical compression of the top plate of the parallel plates is examined. The entropy generation rate in the flow system is formulated after considering the constant movement of the top plate, constant applied load, and the combination of the constant velocity and applied load to the top plate. The optimum operating conditions related to the fluid motion in between the parallel plates is determined through the entropy analysis. It is found that the combination of the constant velocity and the constant applied load resulted in the low entropy generation rate.     

Investigation of electrochromic properties of poly(3,5-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)dithieno[3,2-b;2′,3′-d]thiophene)

Electropolymerization of 3,5-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)dithieno[3,2-b;2′,3′-d]thiophene BMPhDTT, having strong electron-donating methoxy groups, was performed, utilizing potentiodynamic method. The homopolymer was characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and UV–vis spectroscopy. Spectroelectrochemical and electrochromic properties of the homopolymer film were investigated and a PBMPhDTT/PEDOT device was constructed to understand its characteristics in detail. It was revealed that the potential range of 0.0–2.0 V is suitable for operating the device between yellow and blue colors. It indicated a good open circuit memory and stability.     

Characterization of Properties in Friction Welded Stainless Steel and Copper Materials

The aim of this study is to investigate the metallurgical and mechanical properties of friction welded stainless steel-copper joints. One of the manufacturing methods used to produce parts made from different materials is the friction welding method. Application of classical welding techniques to such materials is difficult because of they have different thermal properties. Stainless steel-copper joints are inevitable for certain applications due to unique performances such as higher electric conductivity, heat conductivity, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties. In the present study, austenitic stainless steel and copper parts were joined by friction welding. Tensile, fatigue, and notch-impact tests were applied to friction welded specimens, and the results were compared with those for the original materials. Microstructure, energy dispersive x-ray, and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and hardness variations were conducted on the joints. Results showed that various intermetallic phases such as FeCu₄ and Cu₂NiZn occurred at the interface. It was found from the microstructure and XRD analysis that intermetallic phases formed in the interface which further caused a decrease in the strength of the joints. However, hardness of the copper increased slightly, whereas the hardness of steel decreases slightly on the horizontal distance from the center.     

Determination of radiation attenuation coefficients of heavyweight- and normal-weight concretes containing colemanite and barite for 0.663 MeV γ-rays

Accurate measurements have been made to determine radiation transmission of concretes produced with barite, colemanite and normal aggregate by using beam transmission method for 0.663 MeV γ-rays energy of ¹³⁷Cs radioactive isotopes by using NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. Linear and mass attenuation coefficients of thirteen heavy- and four normal-weight concretes were calculated. It was determined that the linear attenuation coefficient (μ, cm⁻¹) decreased with colemanite concentration and increased with barite concentration in both type of the concretes. Mass attenuation coefficient values of our concretes were compared with the values proposed by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).     

Closed-loop stimulation of hypoglossal nerve in a dog model of upper airway obstruction

Electrical stimulation of upper airway (UAW) muscles has been under investigation as a treatment method for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Particular attention has been given to the electrical activation of the genioglossal muscle, either directly or via the stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve (HG), since the genioglossus is the main tongue protrusor muscle. Regardless of the stimulation site or method, an implantable electrical stimulation device for OSA patients will require a reliable method for detection of obstructive breaths to apply the stimulation when needed. In this paper, we test the hypothesis that the activity of the HG nerve can be used as a feedback signal for closed-loop stimulation of the HG nerve in an animal model of UAW obstruction where a force is applied on the submental region to physically narrow the airways. As an advantage, the method uses a single electrode for both recording and stimulation of the HG nerve. Simple linear filtering techniques were found to be adequate for producing the trigger signal for the electrical stimulation from the HG recordings. Esophageal pressure, which was used to estimate the size of the UAW passage, returned to the preloading values during closed-loop stimulation of the HG nerve. The data demonstrate the feasibility of the closed-loop stimulation of the HG nerve using its activity as the feedback signal.     

The Random <Emphasis Type="Italic">J</Emphasis>-Model with Biquadratic Interaction

The spin-1 model is studied on the Bethe lattice by including the bilinear J and biquadratic K exchange interactions into the Hamiltonian. The effects of J is randomized by using a bimodal random distribution with an adjustable parameter α which allows to study the cases of ±J-model and bond-dilution. The thermal variations of the order-parameters are studied to obtain the possible phase diagrams of the model. It is found that second-order phase transitions lines separate the ordered-phases, ferromagnetic, or antiferromagnetic, from the disordered one, i.e., the paramagnetic phase. The staggered quadrupolar phase lines are also found and only seen for higher negative K values for coordination number q=4 and 6, only. The reentrant behavior is also found for some of the phase transitions lines.